Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-07-23
EXCOMMUNICATION.
It. Form. in Ancient aud Modern Time

culsr formula, If any. by which Q mai
 like Dr. Edward McGlynu Is cut of fTUn
 the communion Of the Church.
 On thIs point Catholic authorities de
 clare that no particular form Is neces-
 sRry; that the letter Of Archbishop Cor.
 rigan containing 6 statement of the fscI
 Is enough. The major eIcOmmunica-
 cation" ssys the Catholic Dictionary
 ''csn be inflicted by mere force of laS
 pr by the written sentence of the iaige.'
 A certain portion of the prefs hA.
 published formula which Is traced tC
 Sterne's "Iristram Shgndy.' Catholic
 authors generally denounoA 1t hs D. c
 tEsyesiy. IL purposes to be SD snsihemf
 and Es matter oi fscs in tie Middle
 Ages snch excommGnicliiOn was pro
 n0unced with 'bell, book and candle"-
 the ringing of the church belle. the clos
 ing of the macs book, and .he dashiug
 down and extinGuishing oi candles.
 The St. Louis University Library con-
 tsins 6 four volume work, De Ritibus
 Ecclesi4." published m the year l7O2
 One volume gIves forms of snsthl ms
 Ehich invariably seem to nave 5eea ap-
 piled to those who lad violent hands
 on church property or on virgins. Ihe
 IndeceDcies aud the curing of the sey-
 ersl members of the body which appear
 n SteIne are absent, but the language
 Is strong enough.
 The English PoDtiicisl before the
 year 9OO Is quoted ID its anathsma
 against the robbers of the Church:
 In the name "f the Father, Son sud
 Holy Ghost, If Holy Mary. the zuge!s.
 prophets, martyrs, couiessors, bIslcps
 and cRnons :hey aTe e1communicAtrd
 Let them be cut of. says the PontiicIsl, from the bonds of the Holy Church oi God and Christians and given over to eternal maledIciiOp; le. them be severed from the inheritance Uf G,d and his elect and have no communication Vith Christians m the present nor part with God and bis ssints ID the future. but hs- sociste with the devil and his ministers. and msy the devil possess them. Cursed
 be they in the house; cursed be the, iu the field; cursed be the food of their stomach and their fruit. Cursed be all that they possess, from the dog that watches them 10 the cock that crows for them. May their part be with Dathhn and AbiroD, whom bell swallowed alive: with Arsniss and Sapphirg, who. lying to the apostles. died: aud with Pilgte and IdRs, the traitor 10 the Lord. May they have none other than the burial of asses. and so lquenchinR the candles may their light be extinguishei ID the midst of darkness.
 4 manuscript which seems to be one of the eleventh century gives maledic- tiOns that were pronounced on "perturb. a:ors Of the Church" Michael and all the angels were called on 10 send tham to the devil and his fellows: S,. Peter and tbe apostles were invoked 10 c1r.e and destroy them, St. stephen and al! the martyrs, St. Martin and all rontes- sors and priests: Mary, the mother of God, and tue virgins. .o cast them Iutf. hell, like Dathan and Abiron, ,Rll disturb CTS of the ChuEoh. May tbeIr days be few, may the devil be st their right hand, and their memory be lost from the earth. If they be sick u them not be visited; let their confession be not let no one pray to God for them; let no one communicate with them; le. them not be buried but g:tL the burial of dogs and be with the devil and bis fellows in the tormeuts of hell. UAess they make penance snd amend atIon, let Ihs!r light be extIngaished for ever and ever. Amen. Amen.
 In the sixth century the gnathems 'ursed those on whom j: was pronoun- 1 led night and day 6ad every hogr ileeping and waking, fEatlng Gud eating | md drinking, speaking and s.!eut, within l ioor5 and out, ou land and on water. rom the top O. the Lead to the sole of l he loot. May theIr eyes be made blind | sn the curse, may their ears be male leaf; may their mouths be made dumb: cay their tongue cieBve to their jaws; nay their hands have DO feeling nor her feet walk; cursed be all the mem 'ers of their body. May they have inc urlal Of dogs and asses, 6nd may tne 'Ild wolves destroy their corpses' and be devll with hIs angels be ever their 
 Pope Leo in eco wrote 10 the arch shops and suffrsgsDs, and the abbo,s nd monks of Francia, excommunicstiog polistOrs Of the Church. In ths name God the Father. Son and Holy P.rae- te. of the blessed Peter the Apostle. Mary the Mother of the Lo-d and of le blessed apostles, msriy rs, coufessors ld ElrRIns. he pronounced excommuu,- Ition and curse On those who took the 'operty ot the servants of S-. Peter , id anything belonging to tbem. Among : e tnrther curses hs invoked on them ? ere: May theIr suns Le made orphsns cir wives bs made widows. their sonsI v naked aud beg. May they bs thrown ! t Of their dsellings, may all their !, bstance be seized upon aud tkerr boTs go tO others, and may tbosa who ' they have right to the sanctuary of D 'd be scattered like chsfr before ths n nd. May they be cursed going m and O ing oei, nsy they suffer hunger and , lTst. cold and fever. May tbeir lN rpsss be food for the fowls of inc air \ | the beasts of the field. May tbev c afflicted with dlcers, scabies, itch snd sl er let toward the close of this dreadful " cument hope IS held out that they d, U amend. Said Jesui. Father. com. -e ntlng on it: R After all. 1T tspers of, would rather f9 afflicted with ulcers and the other eases he enumerAtes than suffer fhe 'se of damnation to hell which be pro -. Inces." ucn excommunicstion by grathsma e+
 iong since gone iatO disuse. "Ii ant something m Ihe Middle Ages" ID. lsrked by priest. when the civic - Yer frequently took Ru active part ie, the excommunicate. Such terrors =. e necessary to make the people ap- ~ ciate what excOmmunication meant -
 they were plsiner ID speaking then ~ D now. But the prio1 conclusion 'I id be against any indecency." I Is IS probable. sad another. "thst as
 McGlynu Is excOmmunicsted by Ie, Catholics will not be allowed to thr munlcsie with him in any way. sE ' can't go to hIs lectures any more" va Istsnces of one effect of exc0mmuri- < Dn have been witnessed by American s1. elers ID Holland. That country IS I,, last stronghold of Jansenism, and tb; Jansenists have kept mp an epIsco- of with an Archbishop st Pa, ,cht. They profess to acknowledge seo Pope ss the head of the church, and o'ci never a bishop Is consecrRted the Inc , is notified. He promptly replies an
 an excOmmunicBtion. Whenever Ifa an Catholics meet any of these ex- ,L,s nunlcste dignitaries they make the srs of the cross snd run to the opposite sIov of the street. To the stranger this ,o , D seen strange, but 1t is explained n.r' e dread of minor communication cbs, e part of the Catholics. St. Louis bas, e-Democrat. cr,;